SUSTAIN - women in research

SUSTAIN round 13 participants:

Dr Katherine Beckham, Newcastle University
Dr Anna Borlase, University of Oxford
Dr Susannah Bourne-Worster, Durham University
Dr Joana Correia-Faria, University of York
Dr Tatiana Dimitriu, University of St Andrews
Dr Hannah Froy, University Edinburgh
Dr Freya George, University of Bristol
Dr Jemma Gibbard, Durham University
Dr Lisa Holbrook, University of Surrey
Dr Monireh Kabirnezhad, University of Oxford
Dr Roxanne Keynejad, King's College London
Dr Emma Lucas, University of Sheffield
Dr Hui Luo, University of Surrey
Dr Ioanna Mela, University Cambridge
Dr Cyrielle Opitom, University of Edinburgh
Dr Adina Pusok, University Oxford
Dr Hannah Schiff, University of Southampton
Dr Ina Schim van der Loeff, Newcastle University
Dr Alejandra Sel de Felipe, University of Essex
Dr Claire Senner, University of Cambridge
Dr Hannah Stewart, Newcastle University
Dr Sally Weston, University of Bristol
Dr Caitlyn Witkowski, University of Bristol

The year-long programme offers interactive skills training and career development sessions, tailored mentoring and the opportunity to network with research leaders. It is designed so that participants are part of a unique cohort to share learnings and includes:

• Interactive career development workshops

The workshops will be tailored to support attendees through the challenges of combining research, teaching, clinical practice and caring and other responsibilities where relevant. Previous sessions have included topics on:

• Time management
  • Negotiation
  • Setting up a research team for success
  • Developing your leadership style

• A peer support network 

The cohort is small by design and are matched in co-coaching trios to enable ongoing peer support and safe discussion of issues/challenges. Small group work at each workshop helps to embed and put into practice key learning points.

• One-to-one mentoring

Participants will have the option to be paired with a Fellow of either the Royal Society or the Academy of Medical Sciences. In addition, or in place of this mentor, participants can choose to be paired with a SUSTAIN alumna as well. Bespoke training and ongoing support will be provided to both mentees and mentors over the course of the programme.

• Leadership Shadowing Scheme

This is an opportunity to learn leadership strategies from the lived experience of those at the top of their careers who have overcome challenges and achieved success. Each participant will be matched with a leader in academia, industry, government, or a third sector organization. By spending time with a leader of their choice, participants will have direct experience of how leadership is enacted in real-world situations. The scheme will see each participant taking part in the leader’s day-to-day activities and getting to know their team. The content of the scheme will be tailored to the needs of the participants and leaders’ availability.

SUSTAIN supports 24 women for a period of one year. Only award holders from the following partner organisations are eligible.

Royal Society

• Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship
• Sir Henry Dale Fellowship
• University Research Fellowship
• Career Development Fellowship

Academy of Medical Sciences

• Springboard Award
• Starter Grant Award for Clinical Lecturers

Royal Academy of Engineering   

• Research Fellow
• Engineering for Development Research Fellows

In February 2022, we published the findings of an independent evaluation of the SUSTAIN programme, which looked at the lasting impact the programme has had since it first started in 2015. SUSTAIN was found to be strikingly successful, with over 90% of evaluation participants saying the programme was helping them thrive as independent researchers. You can find visual highlights of this report here: 

We also work to support individuals and organisations who are developing their own programmes similar to SUSTAIN. If you are looking to develop your own programme, you can explore our new toolkit here.   

Read case studies of SUSTAIN participants here.

“SUSTAIN is the first programme that is tailored specifically towards women at the beginning stages of their independent careers. By integrating a range of approaches, SUSTAIN enables new PIs to develop their own, personal leadership styles needed for their successful progression as scientists.”

Professor Eva Hoffman, SUSTAIN reference group

“Trying to build a career, deliver high quality science and raise a family can seem daunting. But you are not alone and many of the challenges faced by women in research are shared. SUSTAIN offers a structured programme of training and mentorship coupled with the opportunity to learn from and share with people who have walked (or are walking) in your shoes.”

Professor Elizabeth Sapey, SUSTAIN reference group

A number of reports over the past decade have highlighted the relative paucity of women researchers in science securing senior leadership posts in the UK due to barriers and hidden biases[1][2][3]. Although the number is slowly rising, the Academy believes that a more concerted effort is needed to ensure women are appropriately supported along their career trajectory to enable them to secure those senior positions.